Fanny

I saw this movie when I was but 11 yrs. old. I am now 56 yrs. old but I have never forgotten its simple beauty, and the powerful emotion portrayed by actors who were expert at their craft. It is a classic, definitely worth seeing.

The story transports you to a world less glamorous, but full of charm and it reflects the passion of young love, the desperation of a girl "in trouble," and it explores the depth of a woman's love for a man, even when he cannot return that love, and for her child. It teaches that a sperm donor does not a father make, but shows how mutual respect can foster great admiration and loyalty, leading to their own special kind of love.

This movie has everything that one can consider good entertainment: the characters are colorful if not intense, the background music is pleasing, the language is acceptable for all ages, there is humor and there are tears. It is one of my all-time favorite movies, in company with the likes of Love is a Many Splendored Thing.

Leslie Caron, (Fanny) was fantastic in this romantic story where she shines like a very sweet and pretty young girl who grew up with a young man and they were both very much in love. Fanny's mother sells all kinds of fish on the water front docks and Fanny helps sell fish also. The young man who Fanny loves is the son of Charles Boyer, (Cesar) and he owns a sort of café and his son loves Fanny very much but he is getting tired of his father's café and wants to go to sea and become a sailor. The story takes an about face when this young man has to make up his mind if he wants to marry Fanny or go to sea, which his father would not be very happy about. This is a great love story and it will hold your interest from the very beginning to the very end.

I just saw this movie for the first time and loved it very much. The actors are wonderful, especially Charles Boyer (oscar-nominated for his portrayal of Cesar) and Maurice Chevalier; their colorful characters sound so true. Beautifully photographed in Marseille by cinematographer, Jack Cardiff, the scenery is picturesque. Although it was filmed in English, Joshua Logan's film retains the flavor of Marseille and it's people. It is an universal story and has not aged. A mix of comedy and drama, I caught myself laughing and crying at the same time. I highly recommend this movie and hope that Warner Bros. will put it on it's upcoming list of DVD releases.

This is my favorite Leslie Caron movie. I like it even better than the wonderful "Gigi"--and that's saying a lot.

There are several elements of the movie that are outstanding. The cinematography and music combine to make an incredibly artistic film that helps to convey the love and sadness of the young lovers. The acting is generally top-notch--especially the supporting roles played by Charles Boyer and Maurice Chavalier. But most importantly, the overriding theme is unusual and profound (illegitimacy and the choices you make once this unwanted pregnancy occurs). This makes this film very adult in sensibilities and yet a good family picture as well---I certainly would want my daughters to see and learn from Fanny and Marius' experiences.

This movie has so many wonderful moments (such as Panisse's utter devotion and acceptance of Fanny and her baby, Cesar's confrontation of Marius near the end of the flick or Panisse and Cesar's game with the hat in the street) and overall it can't help but satisfy.

One of the absolute best films of the 1960s--though how it's becomes somewhat forgotten is beyond me.

I LOVE this movie and can't believe I haven't seen a decent comment about Horst Buchholz!

I grew up on the musical "Fanny". My mother has always claimed that she was pregnant with me or I was conceived the weekend that my parents went to NYC to see it and that's why I love musicals so much. I'm from a large family and whenever we were on long car rides, we always sang songs from "Fanny" (and always, "The Thought of You", "Love is a Very Light Thing", and "Other Hands, Other Hearts" as dramatically as we could.)

One big joke when I was young was that we had to go to a music store and order a new Fanny 'cause my mom's was cracked. When I found the CD for a sister for Christmas in the last few years, she screamed when she opened it, showed it to the room, and the rest of us screamed. When the in-laws, nieces and nephews asked what "Fanny" was, we broke into "The Thought of You".

When the movie came out on TV, the ten of us gathered in a dark room to watch it and were thrilled when we heard the overture. But half of the family left the room when they realized it wasn't a musical. I was one of the ones who stayed and have always loved this movie. Knowing which song is playing in the background just enhances it. But, I think this has the best filmed kiss EVER!! Horst Buchholz makes me ache and I think he demonstrates the same kind of frustration and passion that Jimmy Stewart did in "It's a Wonderful Life" when he was stuck in his town and dreamed for bigger things for himself. I just had two girlfriends here for the weekend and I introduced "Fanny" to them. We ended up watching it three times (and other parts over and over) and just ordered copies for them.

I've also ordered "Marius", "Fanny" and "Cesar" and am still waiting for "Fanny" to arrive, though I decided to watch "Marius" already. I know that there will be gaps that will be filled in but that can happen in an editing room today. Just listen to a director's commentary on a DVD today and you realize what ended up on the cutting room floor which now explains some thing that seemed odd in a film. The only thing I found odd about Fanny saying that Panisse was dying was 1) saying it in front of her son, and 2) not hugging and kissing her child that was missing.

But I always feel bad that Horst went to his grave not knowing how many women admired him in this film in my corner of the world. One time when watching it with a sister and a friend, after the part where Fanny explains to Marius that each night there's a woman who would love to lie down next to him, my friend said, "There are THREE women who would love to lie down next to you." :-) YUM-MY!